According to Judge Kathryn Schrader, who spoke at the noon meeting on May 16, “Accountability Courts” recognize that good people do bad things.  They provide hope for the brokenness.  There are four such courts in Gwinnett County: Drug Court, DUI Court, Mental Health/Veteran Court, and Parenting Court.  She focused on information about the Drug Court in her talk.  She pointed out that there are all sorts of addiction, not just alcohol and drugs; for example, some are addicted to shop-lifting.  The court offers an alternative to jail time and connects people with mental help resources and attempts to keep them out of the system.  The expanded drug court saves money, at least $6 million in housing alone just in Gwinnett County, and lowers the crime rate.  Individuals are viewed as having a disease, not as experiencing a moral failure.  Participants in the program are highly supervised and experience a carefully structured environment to help transition to a new beginning.  She praised the positive outcome of the courts, with 75% of those who go through the program not repeating an offense.